Word Gathering Women's Writing Circle: Spring 2024
Commit to Your Writing as a Promise to Yourself
Spring Sessions now FULL. Sign up for the Mailing List below to be notified about upcoming Embodied Writing opportunities.
Reclaim Your Creative Voice & Write With Women Who Get It
Each week, we help each other love our voices into existence, immerse ourselves in poetry, LISTEN to each other deeply, move our bodies and our breath, and write the stories that we are here to tell.
It's called a circle because no voice, no story, is more important than the other. This is a true community. It's a place to know – even for one inhale and exhale – what it feels like to be whole. Together, we write. Together, we practice “risky tellings.” Together, we support each other’s voices. We bravely allow ourselves to trust our intuition fully so that we can write the stories that are real, the ones that scare us, the ones that have been begging to be told.
Whether you identify as a writer or not (yet), you are welcome here.
Spring Dates
Tuesday Evenings, April 16 - June 4, 2024 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Pacific Time 8 weeks/$303Limited to 8 writers FULL
Thursday Mornings, April 18 - June 6, 2024
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Pacific Time
8 weeks/$303Limited to 8 writers FULL
**All sessions happen in the Zoom writing room**
Spring Dates
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Pacific Time
8 weeks/$303
**All sessions happen in the Zoom writing room**
If you have questions, email me
at holly@hollyholt.com. I'd love to connect.
The Session Rhythm
1.
The Burn Page
When we arrive, we move our bodies, take 3 breaths together, and write silently for 5 minutes (no prompt). I call this the Burn Page because you can write knowing you will NEVER have to share these words!
Circle members say they love this as a way to get the pen moving.
2.
The Main Write
The second write is usually 15-20 minutes using the Amherst Writers & Artists Method, I offer a poem, invite writers to read (if desired), and we all practice giving gentle feedback.
We respond with what felt true, what will stay with us even after we leave, and what we loved about the piece.
3.
The Free Write
Before we do our final write together, we take a short break and move our bodies to facilitate even more freedom of expression.
The prompt is simple for this third write. We write and read (if we choose), and everyone in the group practices deep listening. Our only response is “Thank you.”
The Prompt Vault
As an added bonus to our live Zoom sessions, you have access to the Prompt Vault as long as you are participating in a current Story Tending Writing Circle. I'll share the prompts we used for our sessions at the end of each week, so that you can go back to them for continued inspiration. And it's a little bit like a private community because there's a discussion area below each prompt where you can comment or even share your writing.
"The magic of Word Gathering Women's Writing Circle is the excavation of my own stories. Before this writing circle I believed my stories to be relics from my past. Now I know they are the connection to the now."
~Tami Hackbarth
Writer/Host of the 100% Guilt-Free Self-Care Podcast
FAQ
Q: What are some signs that this is the right writing circle for me?
- You know you have something to say, and you want a safe space to explore your own voice.
- You wrote poetry or kept a journal when you were younger but somehow along the way, you became convinced that you were “wasting your time.”
- You crave the company of other creative, authentic women. You are hungry for this kind of connected community.
- You identify as a writer. Or you absolutely don’t. The truth is: you are a writer because you write.
- You want your words back.
Q: How will I know this isn't the right group for me?
- You want a writing class. I am not here to teach you to write. I am here to give you the space to write what needs to be written.
- You want to be told what to do. This group is designed to help you discover your own unique voice, not to follow directions.
- You believe that to critique is to be clever…or that being criticized will make you a better writer.
- You are not willing to be vulnerable with your writing and with others. However, if you're just a little scared, we are here to support you.
Q: What if I can’t come to all the sessions?
This is an immersive commitment not only to your own writing but to a community of writers. That being said, we all know that life happens. If you must miss a class, you'll find our weekly prompts in the Prompt Vault (I'll send a link out every week to make that easy). It is not the same as being there with the group, but you will always be given the opportunity to write.
Q: Do you offer refunds?
I offer refunds if you cancel 72 hours before the first session. I do not offer refunds after the writing circle has started. This protects the integrity of the circle and honors my work as a facilitator.
Hello, I'm Holly
I'm a Writer, a Depth Facilitator, and Creator of Story Tending. I'm also a trained Amherst Writers & Artists facilitator and 500-hour yoga teacher, but most importantly, I've spent over 30 years exploring my own depths through creative writing, music making, somatic movement, studying every personality book I could find, and making plenty of mistakes that I absolutely do not regret.
I know what it feels like to be inspired...and stuck. The writing circle is a place to get unstuck. And I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to guide you toward your own creative intuition because…I trust you.
"Holly has provided a safe, welcoming, affirming space for women to write their truth fearlessly and without shame. I have grown more confident, wiser, and stronger as a writer as a result of this group."
~Marla Mion
"The listening is where I feel the greatest value is for me. To spontaneously articulate something of truth, of value, of support to the narrator…there is a learning curve here that I am intrigued to climb."
~Bella D.
“I have loved working with Holly! Her feedback is always positive and specific. She creates an environment that makes it feel safe to be vulnerable.”
~Jeannie Kendrick
And remember
If you feel called to join it's because...
- You have a story inside you... and it’s miraculous.
- You were born to create just like every human being on this earth.
- Sensitive souls are welcome here.
- Your voice matters. Your story matters. And you are ready to be heard.
You Are Not Alone, and Your Writing Deserves Your Devotion
Writing isn’t just about putting pen to paper. It’s something deeper. Your story is contained in your body, your blood, your belly, your bones, and writing it down can be transformational.
Let’s write together.
Questions about Word Gathering? Email me at holly@hollyholt.com. I'd love to connect.
